Following One's Pawsteps DRAFT
Fireheart The Third (named after Leafstar's kit who was named after Firestar) - Bright flame-colored tabby she-cat with dim orange stripes on her back and amber eye. Naturika - a black she-bear with light eyes, and small ears with a fluffy tail. Geoffrey (Geo) is a male golden retriever. His right eye is purple and his left eye is green. No one knows how that was even possible. StarClan gives a test to Fireheart. A test of forgiveness, because they believe she has the heart to love. To love any animal and help any animal in need. But she doesn't know she was given this test for a great cause. Starclan guides her to a black bear cub in need, while the bear spirits guided her to Fireheart. Fireheart was being rejected one too many times in her clan, and she decided to help the black bear cub get back to Canada. On the way, when their lost, they meet a dog named Geoffrey, nicknamed Geo. Geo, later on, decided to guide them there too. Many twists and turns, unexpected results, conflicts, friends, foes, and...poppyseed-shaped pieces of food? Just because you are different animals, and have fought since before the time of the clans, doesn't mean that you cannot be friends and get along, and help each other in need. Prologue A pale brown-and-cream tabby she-cat came close to the Shining Rocks. More cats gathered around as three other cats step onto the Shining Rocks. One was a light gray tom that had white patches. The other was a dark ginger tabby tom. The last one was a dark gray tom with smooth fur. "Looks like someone licked their fur dashingly tonight, Skywatcher," the tabby she-cat meowed. "Well this seemed pretty important, Leafstar, so I might as well," Skywatcher replied with a lick to fur sticking out on his shoulders. The dark ginger tom leaped down from the Shining Rocks and touched his muzzle with Leafstar's. "I'm so glad you trusted me..." "Why not, Sharpstar?" Leafstar smiled. He took a step sideways to let Leafstar get onto the Shining Rocks. She dipped her head gratefully, and he nodded back. She leaped onto a rock, and Sharpstar leaped onto the same one and sat beside her. She dipped her head to the light gray tom. "Greeting, Cloudstar." "Greetings, Leafstar." He dipped his head in greeting to Leafstar. There were 5 rocks left. Four were a size of dozens of mice, and the other the size of a dog. And everyone were waiting for them to be filled. The cats huddled into a group that was only one-third of the area around the Shining Rocks. All of SkyClan's Ancestors looked over to the Wild Trees. The Wild Trees was where no animal ever goes, because the only place the Wild Trees lead to is to the spirits of other animals that lived in the wilderness like bears, lions, antelopes, etc. The cats on the Shining Rocks turned to face the Wild Trees too. Suddenly a bunch of black bears walked through them and huddled in the other 1-9 of the area. One bear stepped out, and leaped onto the two big rocks. Leafstar dipped her head. "Lusa." Lusa dipped her head. Then appeared the River Of Salmon. A bunch of brown bears swam out, with their fur completely dry. They covered another 1-9, and two came out. Sharpstar dipped his head, meowing, "Ujurak, Toklo." The two bears dipped their heads back at him, huffing, and they leaped on the two other big rocks. One bear-sized rock left besides the dog-sized. A pathway of stars lead into a loop, and a platform formed of ice above the stars. Polar bears walked down, and just slid down it with their bellies. They slid into the other 1-9 of the area beside the brown bears. Some of the white bears accidently bumped into the brown bears, and apologized. The brown bears just growled of forgiveness. One she-bear stepped out and onto the last bear-sized rock. Toklo nodded to her happily, and so did Ujurak. But Lusa just squealed her name, "Lusa!" Lusa smiled and nodded back to the other three bears. All the animals stared at the last 1-3 empty space. But suddenly a huge bright yellow globe appeared, and a bunch of dogs tramp out. "Finally The Sky-Dogs are here!" one animal shouts. A golden-and-white Sheltie-Retriever-mix male pads out. He leaps onto the last of the stones. Ujurak dipped his head, saying, "Hello, Lucky." "Hello, Ujurak," Lucky barked. Leafstar flicked her tail to hush the cats. Ujurak tipped his muzzle, silencing all the bears. Lucky barked loud, making the Sky-Dogs silence themselves. Lucky and Ujurak nodded at Leafstar. Leafstar started, "As all you animals know, the Twoleg town near the SkyClan camp has been destroyed, making more forest, by the kind twolegs who planted more seeds there for trees and plants to grow. And they did, but now that it happened, more wild different animals will be barging into SkyClan's territory. It's not only a threat to SkyClan, but to the animals that will barge in from hunger, courage, adventure/curiousity, or even blood-thirsty. But I know that SkyClan is strong. And if it is that strong, it may tear some of the animals apart. And it will not lead to the pack of Sky-Dogs or the places of where bear sprits go. They will go nowhere." "And that is true," Ujurak roared. "Bears are losing some of their habitats, and they will eventually be led to SkyClan camp, and be forced to die, or kill." Lucky budded in, "Same for all of us, dogs. Because there were so many longpaw-dens and longpaws, that there were also many dogs. But the longpaws left the dogs behind there to die. But unfortunately and fortunately, they survived. But they roam the forest, being a threat to the cats. But from how dangerous and fierce and nimble the cats are, they could kill some of the dogs too, like the bears, even if they never met a bear before." The cats, dogs, and bears all agreed, murmuring to one another. But then a she-cat among the cats stood up. She was an orange-and-brown-tortoiseshell with a white chest and white paws. "I say we bring peace among the animals." Lucky growled. "Oh, please, Spottedleaf! All animals and even longpaws know that dogs and cats could NEVER be friends with eachother!" "How do you know? Dogs don't have to be friends with all cats. They either avoid, or ally with only SkyClan!" Some of the cats and dogs speaked quietly to eachother, agreeing and denying. Cloudstar looked at Lucky. "That is true. It's either avoid or ally, or death or and to death." Skywatcher, Sharpstar, and Leafstar nodded. "Fine," Lucky growled. Kallik roared for everyone to pay attention to her. "I know that cats and bears have NEVER met. But I do know that they wouldn't get along. Us bears would just see them as prey. And just a-like the dogs, it's either avoid or ally, or death to and or." All the bears huffed in agreement. The cats just dipped their heads in agreement as the dogs just swayed their tails, agreeing. A bear roared above everyone and the animals hushed. Kallik staed at the male white bear. "Taqqiq! I knew you were disrespectful, but not in the skies too!" Some of the bears held the harrumph of amusement and laughter in their throats. The cats purred in amusement though out loud, and the dogs swayed their tails of happiness. "Well atleast hear me out!" Taqqiq roared. "How the StarClan are we going to get the animals to get along?! What are you going to do, shove three troubled creatures together and force them to love eachother?" Taqqiq snorted. "Well why not do that?" Cloudstar suggested, "Just not shove and force." "Your on the right track, Cloudstar," Sharpstar meows, "but not just like that. I suggest let a loving animal help the other in need, as the last supports the help?" "You put it in such simple meows, Sharpstar," Skywatcher purrs. "Hmmm...well we can start that when we get there," Toklo says, "But right now, we shall choose the animal with a big heart and strong skills to do it all. But it shall be in the future, before the trouble will even begin. But what animal shall it be, though?" Some of the bears didn't say anything, but some were voting 'cat'. Some of the dogs were voting bear though, but very few of them cats. The cats didn't vote at all except less then a quarter of them, which was dog and bear. "I counted up the votes," Lucky barks loudly. "It will be a cat." Most of the dogs and bears hissed in annoyance and dismay, but some didn't show much emotion. "Leafstar may choose the cat." Lucky dips his head to Leafstar. All the animals walked over to the River Of Salmon. The River wasn't just for bears. It aloud some cats too, because some were able to swim and live near water. Same for dogs. The map of SkyClan territory glowed into the pool. The salmon played the roll as the cats in the clan, and turned into the shape of the cats. "I'd better choose a kit, because most of the cats are too senior to live long enough, and the 'paws are almost warriors too." The water zoomed into the nursery. Leafstar looked at the queen(s) and looked at the small kits. "That one." Leafstar pointed to the light brown she-cat newborn-kit. "Her mother was loving and caring for any animal, even dogs, and her father was the most skillful and broad cat in the clan who is now deputy. I don't care how fragile and small she might be, or even weak, but I can sense that her heart will be the strongest of all." "Now that we have chosen, we must now give the powers." Ujurak looked around at the animals. The dogs tipped their heads, but the cats knew what Ujurak meant. "What? Powers?! That's unnatural!" Lucky stared wide-eyed. "Well, if we need them to find eachother, they will need powers. Plus, there are too many dangers now in this world. More then the bears, clans, and dogs have faced." Most of the animals yelped in agreement. But then Taqqiq roared again, hushing the large groups. "Well then what kind of bear?!" More bears roared of questions following the one Taqqiq asked. Oka growled loudly enough for everyone to hear. They all stared at her, silenced, but some of the spiritual cubs, kits, and pups were murmuring a bit. "I say it should be a black bear. They can swim faster then brown bears but not as fast as white bears. They are as powerful and nimble as most brown bears too, and they also have the unique ability of climbing." All the kinds of bears murmured in agreement, and especially the black bears. "Then it is settled for the bears," Lusa roars. "A black bear will be the one chosen for this journey. We will secretly choose the power for the bear in private." "So will we," Lucky ruffs. "The meeting is over. Now the journey will begin later." The white bears climbed up the icey stars. Kallik farewelled to Ujurak, Toklo, and Lusa. Ujurak and Toklo farewelled to Lusa and waded back into the River Of Salmon with the other brown bears. Once the brown bears were gone, the River Of Salmon began lowering it's sea-level and eventually ended up disappearing, making a ditch, which quickly closed up after. Once Kallik and the white bears got back up into the star that was the exit of StarClan territory, it flashed and disappeared too. The black bears murmured to eachother, and finally nodded, approving and sealing their part. They flicked their ears goodbye to the dogs and cats as they padded back into the Wild Trees. As soon as they left, the Wild Trees shrinked into seeds again, and popped, disappearing. The dogs flicked their ears, messaging 'We have decided', and the ones without ears just swayed their tais to and fro. The dogs walked back into the bright globe, and it shrank, and it eventually became a small tiny flame, and it was un-lit by the wind like a candle, disappearing too. Leafstar padded over to the group of cats. "I say we don't need to give this cat powers. We just need to give it things to communicate with the other animals. But I don't want her to be translating every word each other says to the other. So I shall give her..." *** "So what are you going to name her, Windheart?" Windheart's mate asked her. "Well, I would like to name her...after two cats. The one who was the one who brought the clan together, and the one who was our first leader's daughter. I will name my small she-cat Firekit...even though the cat never really was officially named Firekit..." "You don't need to explain that much, Windheart!" Her mate purred. "I love the name too. Is he done suckling your milk yet?" Windheart purred too. "Yes, yes he is, Gorgeleap. Here, you snuggle with him for a while." She pawed Firekit closely to Gorgeleap. She tried to stand up but fell. She tried again, but when she fell, Gorgeleap caught her with his tail, and he dragged Firekit to him, curling over her. "My precious little she-cat..." He licked Firekit's fur between her ears. "She has determination, just like you," Windheart meows. Firekit purred a lot and licked her father's muzzle near his whiskers, even not knowing where his muzzle was. "And she is noisy, and caring, just like you." SkyClan's medicine cat, Riversong, padded back in. She dipped her head. "May that pain be worth that miracle. May StarClan guide her." Windheart nodded. "She will be one of a kind." Chapter One ~Firekit~ Firekit woke up, from shaking in her mothers pelt. Firekit guessed that Windheart was dreaming. Firekit blinked her eyes open and yawned. She wanted to sleep since Silverpelt was shining, but she was already wide awake. But then she remembered. She opened her eyes!!! She wished she could tell everyone, but all the cats were asleep, except the guards on Skyrock. Firekit just decided to re-act what just happened so SkyClan won't know that she already opened her eyes so they won't feel like they missed out on anything. But she couldn't sleep. She just curled up near her mother's flank, and closed her eyes, relaxing her body. She still couldn't sleep. *** "Your not the first Firekit ya know," Molekit mewed. Well of course! I'm no mouse-brain! You weren't the first MOLE either. "And your not the first mole ever, either. Ever heard of 'em?" Molekit hissed by that retort. "Just because your father is the future-leader, don't expect I'll treat you like royalty!" "I don't expect to be treated like loyalty, you mole!" Molekit hopped onto Firekit playfully. They toppled into Leaftail, who scooped them up. "Your crossing into my territory, kits," Leaftail joked. "I shall eat you now!" Molekit squealed, and Firekit squirmed around, managing to get her tail loose. She hit the floor with an 'oof!', but managed to scrabble up. She looked up to see Leaftail hanging Molekit above her mouth. Firekit squeaked. Firekit took a few paces backwards. She bolted forward, and put all her strength in her hind-legs, and leaped as high as Leaftail, and tackled Molekit out of Leaftail's paws. Molekit squeaked a thanks and scrambled off with excitement in his eyes. Firekit wondered why. She turned around to see Leaftail staring at her with disbelief in her eyes. Firekit wondered why. Was it the leap? But SkyClan SUPPOSED to have strong hind-legs to jump. She watched as Leaftail bolted into the Leader's Den. A few moments later, she heard Sunstar call the meeting, and with Firekit too. Firekit wondered why, because usually kits aren't aloud to gather with the warriors. All the cats gathered and Sunstar looked at Firekit. He flicked his tail towards himself. Firekit bounded off in his direction, and stopped at the Stockpile. Those rocks were far too big for her to jump. She looked around, expecting help, but the cats just stared at her. I might as well try, she thought. She took a few paces back, and ran fast towards the rocks. She forced herself up into the air with her hindlegs. She loved the feeling of the wind forcing against her fur. She landed on the rock that was halfway between Sunstar and the first rock of the Stockpile. Firekit was proud of herself. She took the few pawsteps that were limited to the size of the rock, and she ran forward, and hoisted herslef up, just to find herself landing beside Sunstar. Everyone stared amazed. Firekit was confused, because SkyClan was meant to be high jumpers, which was the special ability of the clan. Firestar snapped tofocus when Sunstar started. "Cats of SkyClan. Apparently, we have a prophecized cat here." All the cats, including Firekit, gasped in surprise. "How do you know?!" Gorgeleap hisses. "Have you ever saw a kit who could jump that high? The first day they open their eyes? After just moments of looking around? She jumps as high as Sandtail, our most senior warrior! This kit is BOUND to be prophecized! No normal cat could do such a thing!" Everyone yowled in jealousy, anger, and rage. Firekit was terrified. She was going to be hated the rest of her life because of this. She blamed Leaftail. Chapter Two ~Naturika~ Naturika played with her brother, Onyk. She cuffed him on his head. Onyk took a few pawsteps back, and Naturika knew that wasn't good. But luckily she was small and nimble, but still as strong as a cub bigger than her. Onyk charged at her. Naturikia crouched, making Onyk trip. "Take that!" She stood over him, her paw on his belly, holding him down. Then Mama came in. "Cubs, want to hear another story?" "Yes please!" Naturika said, sitting up straight obediently, while Onyk stumbled to get up. "Yay! Yes, Nikal!" Onyk said excitedly. Nika settled down and layed down, facing her cubs. "A long time ago, there was a grizzly cub. Stop growling, Onyk. Grizzlies can get along with blacks. Anyways, the grizzly lost his brother. His brother was weak and frail, and he didn't like his brother. His brother died finally. But the next few sunrises was where it ended. He and his mother went to a river, where she saved him from a large grizzly that would've killed him. But than he washed down-hill on the river. And he stumbled into another grizzly. His mother scared that grizzly off, but she snapped at him, and left him alone. He was lucky enough to survive at all because he was so young. But while he was journeying, he met a SHAPE-SHIFTING grizzly cub." Naturika and Onyk's eyes stretched wide. "He couldn't help but help the cub, because he was so young, and if he died, then he would get stuck in the grizzly's mind too like his brother and mother. They tagged along, and they met a black bear cub, who came all the way from a zoo." Naturika stared in curiousity too along with awe. "What's a zoo?" "A place where flat-faces hold up every different kind of animal. But they are nice to them, and other flat-faces come to watch them and give them food. My great great grandmother was that black bear cub. Anyways, she said she saw his mother at the zoo, and she had a message for him, but he denied every talk about his mother, but he let the black bear cub along because of the grizzly cub. They all tagged along. Then they came here. Here, the Great Bear Lake. The big grizzly was sent to this very island, Pawprint Island. It used to be very sacred for The Longest Day. Anyways, the big large group of grizzlies sent him to Pawprint Island for the Longest Day to bring the fish back in the river. Which was a very delayed reaction." Naturika liked that bear. She stared in awe. "Wow....." She murmured. "While he was swimming, he found out that his mother and brother never tried to drown him, they just tried to help him swim. And he regret his thoughts of not being loved. He finally got to shore, here. But then another big grizzly bear swam into shore, and didn't think the grizzly cub was worthy. They fought, and the cub won. And that cub made marks on this tree." She pointed at a tree with deep scratch marks in it. "But then the black bear came. Four white bears were planning to steal the forest from black and brown bears, and they stole the black she-bears friend. The grizzly denied to help. She asked again for his and the shape-shifting cub's help. But he still denied. When she left, he felt a pang of guilt." "Why of course, with a journey like that all the way there!" Onyk said, almost a roar. "Then an eagle came, and shape-shifted into the grizzly cub. He asked about it and they had a bit of a conversation. They decided to go back, and they swam the Great Bear Lake again back. They come back to see the black bear cub with a white bear cub. He was a bit shocked, but knew what was coming. One of the group members was her BROTHER!" Naturika and Onyk gasped. What a journey! "She asked to help the black bear cub. Of course she agreed. The four bears came up with a plan. The grizzlies and the black bear hid away. He saw the white bear talking to her brother, distracting the other bears too. Then the trapped bear cub who was stollen and ran, and switched places with the other black bear cub because they looked so much alike. Eventually, they all beat the 3 other bears. Then the white she-bear's brother regret what he did and apologized. The grizzly bear had to continue his Longest Day on this island though. So he came back, and stayed the Longest Day, and went back to the gathering of bears, filling faith for all of the brown bears. His name was Toklo. The black bear was Lusa. Some say you can see Lusa's spirit among these trees and Toklo's spirit in the waters." Naturika ran back into the forest of the island and looked at every tree she looked at. She saw one that looked like the face of Lusa that Nikal described! "I see it!" She shouts excitedly. "I see it! I SEE IT I SEE IT I SEE IT!" Nikal was padding over to her. "See what, my little cub?" Onyk came back with her too. "Don't you see Lusa's spirit in the tree? Her face!" "I don't..." Onyk says. "Maybe your being dog-minded (delusional) because me and Mama don't see one." "Maybe he's right, Naturika. I don't see one, and neither does Onyk." A big huge black bear rumbled in. "See what, Nikal?" "Father! Do you see Lusa's spirit in this tree?!" Naturika pointed to the wooden face. "Sorry, but nope." "See?" Onyk says. "Daqq doesn't see it either!" "Whatever! I'm going to the lake!" Naturika stormed off to the lake. Chapter Three ~Geoffrey~ Geoffrey was nothing then a pound dog. No one ever talks to him or even looks at him, because they think he's different. Different because of his different eye color. His left eye was neon green and the right was neon PURPLE. No one understood why, and he didn't either. He was just born in the pound. Not even his mother or father spoke or looked at him, unless they are giving him food, because, after all, he is THEIR son. He had to come up for his own names for things. It was pretty hard too. But he does hear some of the other dogs talking to one another. Like the weird creature things that bring food to him are called Longpaws. And that what locks him inside of his "cell" are "cage bars" and he guessed those were two different things in one. Outside the window, he saw a ball of light. He called it "Firefur" and the silver ball "Moonball" hearing other dogs talk about another huge ball named "moon" too. And then there were "clouds", and "stars" in the sky too. He wondered what it was like outside. * * * The doors slammed open and Geoffrey woke up. He looked up to see a Longpaw holding a beagle that has 3 legs. Geoffrey noticed that the Longpaw was walking to HIM! Why am I getting excited? The pup will hate me like all the others do too...wait, he isn't even a pup! He is between full-grown and pup! The longpaw opened up the cage-bars and set the beagle in. He looked so scrawny and helpless. Geoffrey decided to be friendly anyways, even if he would hate Geoffrey. Geoffrey padded up to him and said, "Hi, want some of my food?" Geoffrey pushed his bowl over to the beagle. "My names Geoffrey, what's yours?" The beagle didn't bother to eat. Geoffrey hardly understood what he said while he was eating, but he still could understand. "My names Hauss. Mind if I call ya Geo?" "Nope!" Geo thought he finally made a friend. His hopes rose. "So what happened to your leg?" Hauss looked up at Geo with cold, stern eyes. Hauss nosed the bowl back over to the opposite side Geo is, and Hauss went over there. Geo's hopes just hit rock-bottom. Chapter Four ~Fireheart~ "W-What?" Firekit stammered. Sunstar looked over at Riverleap. "Well?" Riverleap shook her head. "I never heard of any prophecy yet. Maybe she just has strong legs. Sunstar looked among his clans. He drooped his head. "I guess so...but I believe she is special...and not just normal..." Sunstar padded back to his den. His clan gasped, and some glared at Firekit with anger flaring in their eyes. Jealous much? * * * She was finally 6 moons old. But no one was ever nice to her. Not even the youngest kits. Her mother was, just feeling pity for her, and her father just avoided her, but still gave her little pieces of fresh-kill not enough to feed a 4 moons old kit! Worst moons of her life since she opened her eyes! Curse her eye-covers! Sunstar finally called Firekit up for her apprentice cerimony. She saw that no warrior would even want to mentor her. All their eyes were clouded with worry and anger that she would be their apprentice. She knew they would just treat her like a weakling. Except only Grasspelt. He just looked emotionless, like, pretty much, always. Sunstar did his boring words that sounded like meow meow hiss meow meow starclan meow meow firepaw. But now he was going to give her a mentor. She was definitely not looking forward to it. None of the cats liked her, and she didn't like them. Except maybe her mother, Grasspelt, and Sunstar. She couldn't like her father because he avoided her too much for that. Firekit nearly squealed when she found out who her mentor was. And all the other cat's almost did too, until Sunstar hissed. "Grasspelt will mentor Firekit. I hope you will pass on your skills of forepaw-fighting skills and care. But Grasspelt didn't show any emotion when he touched noses with Firekit. But it was better than hatred and jealousy at least. Firekit wondered what Grasspelt will teach her. "Don't worry," Grasspelt murmured quietly that no one could hear it except Firekit. "I will protect you and love you like your mother did, no matter how much rejection" Firekit was very grateful. Now she found someone who would atleast love her, that didn't HAVE to love her, like her mother. Chapter Five ~Naturika~